Hair Multiplication

Hair Multiplication

Hair Multiplication at a glance

Treatment
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Rating: 3.9/5 (25 votes cast)

The good: Unlimited supply of donor hair to refill the bald spots.

The bad: Not available yet, no firm timeline, no firm price, no demonstrated quality.

Bottom Line: Easily the best hope for a "cure", this will fill in the gap between now and a hairloss vaccination someday in the future.
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Hair Multiplication (Hair Cloning, Follicle Cloning) is a commercially developed technology to harvest donor hair cells, duplicate them, then reimplant into balding areas.

Stem cells and dermal papilla cells have been discovered in hair follicles and some researchers predict research on these follicular cells may lead to successes in treating baldness through hair multiplication, also called hair cloning.

This treatment is expected to initially work through the following steps:

  1. Harvesting cells from existing follicles
  2. Multiplying them in cultures
  3. Injecting or implanting groups of cells back into the scalp.

There is some evidence that this process also transmits chemical signals to nearby follicle cells which have shrunk during the aging process, which then respond to these signals by regenerating and once again making healthy hair. In the future, this may be the central approach, and indeed is similar to what Follica announced recently. (See timeline)

A third HM option has recently come to attention which includes a traditional hair transplant, followed by regenerating the extracted hairs via a novel stem cell approach. (See ACELL)

Unfortunately, HM appears to be taking longer than expected. The first products are now expected to hit the market in 2009/2010. However, it remains unclear how effective they are going to be. It has been suggested that only future generations of HM will allow patients to grow as much hair as they want.

HM is primarily being developed by two independent companies: Aderans Research Institute and Intercytex.[1] [2]

[edit] Current Status

  • Aderans launched Phase 2 trials, April 24, 2009. Phase 2 of the study is being conducted in six U.S. cities: Atlanta, Boston, New York, Raleigh, Houston, and Washington DC. phase 1 was conducted exclusively in the United Kingdom. Phase 2 should be over by the end of 2009.
  • TrichoScience - Sept 3, 2009 - Vancouver BC. TrichoScience Innovations Inc. (TrichoScience) has announced the completion of the first phase of its initial round of private financing. This funding allows the Company to immediately commence human clinical trials which will begin in Europe in September, 2009. The European human clinical trials are being directed by TrichoScience Vice Chairman & Chief Medical Director for Europe, Dr. Rolf Hoffmann who, in partnership with Dr. Kevin McElwee, the Company's Chief Scientific Officer, has been responsible for research and development of the unique TrichoScience hair cell replication procedure. In announcing completion of the initial round of financing, TrichoScience President & CEO, Matt Wayrynen said, "This is a very important step for TrichoScience. Over the past seven years a lot of effort, time and money have gone into the development of the unique TrichoScience procedure by a truly dedicated team of medical and scientific professionals. The procedure has been proven safe and effective in pre-clinical research and testing, and we are now able to carry this success forward into the human clinical trials phase."

[edit] Timeline

  • 1941 Lillie and Wang demonstrate new feathers can be created by implanting dermal papillae in the skin. (Note: feather follicles and hair follicles are extremely similar.)
  • 1954 Breedis shows, under certain conditions, after complete destruction or removal of hair follicles in adult mammals, new follicles can grow in the skin.
  • 1956 Montagna & Chase purposely damage follicles by X-radiating the scalp. Remaining dermal papilla and ORS cells repair and regrow the hair follicles.
  • 1961 Cohen pioneers the use of large rat vibrissa follicles to isolate dermal and epidermal follicular components for transplantation experiments. He demonstrates implanted dermal papillae are capable of producing new follicles in the skin.
  • 1966 Oliver shows DP cells are responsible for regenerating new end bulbs in amputated follicles.
  • 1981 Oliver and Jahoda culture rat DP cells and show implanting them in wounded rat skin results in follicles that produce hair fiber resembling that of DP cell's host follicle.
  • 1984 Messenger shows cultured human DP cells behave in vitro very similarly to
  • cultured rat vibrissa DP cells.
  • 1992 Jahoda and Reynolds demonstrate cultured dermal papilla cell induction of hair in glabrous skin (rat foot pad)
  • 1993 Jahoda reveals he has been successful growing new follicles in humans using cultured human DP cells. No research papers are forthcoming.
  • 1996 Cooley cultures his DP cells and implants them into is arm. One new hair grows as a result. The hair is later shed.
  • 1996 Yoshizato et al demonstrate long-term culture of hair inductive dermal papilla cells
  • 1997 Gho begins hair multiplication experiments. After discovering DP cells have extreme limitations, he begins using ORS and stem cells extracted from plucked hair to rejuvenate shrunken MPB human follicles.
  • 1999 Jahoda implants his intact dermal sheath in wife's arm and grows hair. However, he discovers his cultured DP cells fail to result in hair growth.
  • 1999 Intercytex is formed. Paul Kemp is Chief Scientific Officer.
  • 2001 Barrows of BioAmide presents paper documenting having grown hair in a human patient using cultured DP cells.
  • 2001 Gho states he’s aiming to introduce HM within 5 years.
  • 2002 Aderans Research Institute is formed. Notable hair scientist Kurt Stenn is recruited as Chief Scientific Officer. BioAmide is purchased as basis of research and Barrows is taken aboard. Washenik says he thinks it will take 5 years to have a commercially available product.
  • 2002 Kemp announces in best case scenario product submission could be as early as 2005.
  • 2003 Washenik says it will take 5 more years to release a product. Onlookers wonder why cure is always 5 more years away.
  • 2003 Intercytex begins phase I trials in England.
  • 2005 Gho continues to struggle with growing hair consistently in his human test patients. He cannot figure out why some patients respond well to the treatment and others barely respond at all. Many baldness sufferers shift hopes to Intercytex.
  • 2005 Intercytex completes phase I studies well behind schedule. Results appear promising. 5 of 7 patients grow hair. Kemp grows 66 new hairs from 100 injections and refers to it as an average response to treatment.
  • 2006 Gho misses 5-year prediction.
  • 2006 Intercytex begins phase II studies in England.
  • 2007 Aderans begins phase I studies in England. Interestingly, they use a two-cell approach compared to Intercytex’ one-cell approach.
  • 2008 Intercytex announces it will cease financing the development of ICX-TRC after completion of phase II completes and attempt to find a partner to finish the research and distribute the product. Many see this as a sign of product ineffectiveness. On the bright side, all patients who received pre-stimulation of the epidermis had increased hair counts. HM works in everybody. The question is, how well it works?
  • 2009 Aderans launched Phase II trials (April 24, 2009). Phase II of the study is being conducted in six U.S. cities: Atlanta, Boston, New York, Raleigh, Houston, and Washington DC. Currently phase II trials are taking place and it’s expected to be completed by the end of 2009. Talking about the avaliability of the HM i have heard that within 5 years. If we look back here to 2003 then Washenik told that after 5 years (2008) but now is already september 2009 and they still need 5 more years. Timline is moving and we don't know exactly when they can bring this cure to market. Hopefully by the end of 2009 we have more information about their phase 2 studies.
  • 2009 TrichoScience started human hair cloning clinical trials (Phase I) in Europe September 2009. It's interesting that we can see from their website the cost of the cure for the patient which is approx $16,500 - $29,500
  • 2009 Intercytex closes its doors.

January 2007 - Italian stem-cell researchers say they've come up with a new technique for curing baldness. Pierluigi Santi of a Genoa clinic said stem cells could be used to "multiply" hair roots. He said the clinic would be ready to perform its first hair transplants on priority patients - those who have lost their hair in fires or other accidents - within a few months. After that, he said, "we'll open our doors to paying customers". Santi's approach works by splitting roots and growing new follicles.

May 2007 - U.S. company Follica, announced they have licensed technology from the University of Pennsylvania which can regenerate hair follicles by reawakening genes which were once active only in the embryo stage of human development. [1] [2] [3] [4][5]

August 24 2007 - Intercytex announces that it will report its interim results for ICX-TRC during the six months ended 30 June 2007 on Tuesday September 25, 2007. [6]

September 25 2007 - Some Intercytex Phase II results released[3]; trial continues.

March 17 2008 - Intercytex Phase II trial completed, result release delayed until Q2 2008[4]

Nov 23 2009 - Intercytex announces asset transfer to Pfizer and closure before end of 2009. [5]

[edit] Companies

The following companies are researching or actively developing Hair Multiplication:

[edit] Considerations

There are still many unknowns at this moment:

[edit] Hair direction

With traditional hair transplant techniques, the direction to which the hair is inserted dictates how the hair will grow. It is therefor vital that hair is implanted in a natural direction. With Hair Multiplication, it has been suggested that the hair will naturally take on the native direction, but as of yet this has not been demonstrated.

[edit] DHT resistance

Because the donor hairs are from typically DHT-resistant areas of the scalp, it's been assumed that the newly developed hairs will also be resistant. This has yet to be fully proven.

[edit] Hair Cycle

[edit] Result Consistency

The best results from Hair Multiplication are still not entirely consistent. Intercytex has posted results in the range of 13%-105% regrowth. This is expected to improve as they refine their techniques.

[edit] Multiple Applications

It is unknown if multiple applications will yield new hair each time, or if there is some biological ceiling in a balding scalp. It's been assumed that there isn't, but this hasn't yet been shown.

[edit] Side Effects

Unknown at this time.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ↑ Hair Cloning Nears Reality as Baldness Cure. Webmd.com (Nov. 4, 2004). Retrieved on 2006-08-10.
  2. ↑ Big Baldness Breakthrough?. Associated Press (Mar. 15, 2004). Retrieved on 2006-08-10.
  3. ↑ x
  4. ↑ Intercytex Phase II Hair Multiplication Completed Trial Results
  5. ↑ Intercytex Divestment
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